An outstanding resource for making fantasy maps -- whether you're a budding professional or just a hobbyist who wants an interesting map to share with friends around the gaming table. The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow.

This was an alright purchase for me the guidelines this book provided were more or less similar to what you'd find online for free so I can't help but feel that $23 is a bit much for this product. $12 isn't half bad but I also DID have to create my own PDF version which at this point any product on here should just come with that option. Especially a product like this that discusses using digital tools to make maps. That's a computer task and yet they only have epub and mobi files? Its way more of a pain to get a reader for those than to use a pdf.

The book consists of 10 e-book pages, including the title page and the author's background; the given advice is solid, but mediocre - nothing surprising, no epiphany if you have read a few other books on writing already. Even though the e-book is pleasant to read and amusing, I doubt that the price of $2.99 is appropriate (of course assuming I did not miss anything).

While the content itself can be rated from 3 to 4 stars, the pricetag is a serious speed bump in my opinion, if compared to the works on writing by Steven Pressfield or Chuck Wendig, for example.

Being a fan of H.P. Lovecraft’s works myself, this book was off to a good start as the forward was written by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society. “While Mr. Athans draws from an extremely impressive array of monstrous sources, we are, of course, particularly delighted to see the works of H.P. Lovecraft cited so frequently and so appropriately in this discussion. Lovecraft was indeed, as Athans states, a master of the monster.”

With such a good start, I was ready to dive in, head first.

The introduction goes into some thoughts on “Realism vs. Plausibility” and the responsibilities that come with writing monsters. Philip makes a good case and ends it with “Artist Francisco de Goya wrote, “Fantasy, abandoned by reason, produces impossible monsters; united with it, she is the mother of the arts and the origin of marvels.” This is the genre author’s primary responsibility. If you’ve asked readers to sign on to your fantasy or science fiction assumptions, you have the responsibility to make sure those settings—and all the scary and outré denizens of that setting—seem real. Take this responsibility seriously.”
Following the Introduction there’s a passage on how to use this book. In particular it goes into knowing what a monster is before you can really write about one. At the end of the passage he presents you with a “Monster Creation Form,” along with an example of how to use it and then provides a link to where you can download the form if desired.

From there the book is written in three parts. Part 1 is aptly titled “What they are” and is covered throughout the first five chapters. This part covers questions like “What makes a Monster?”

“What Makes a Monster Scary?” and “Where Do They Come From?” Chapter five is titled “Monster or Villain?” and between Philip’s personal thoughts, his presenting some examples from a couple of different sources and a passage from Steven E. Schend’s novel Blackstaff, this chapter has arguably some of the best information in the book.

Part II covers why they’re here. “Everything that happens in a story must happen for a reason. And since neither science fiction, fantasy, or even horror actually requires the presence of a monster, monsters shouldn’t show up in your book or screenplay “just because.” In this section we’ll discuss what monsters are for, what they represent, and how they interact with your characters and story.” For you new monster writers out there, this section should be mandatory reading.

This section goes in to several discussions, including how “monster-rich” should the world you’re writing about be and different ways of writing or using your monsters, such using them as metaphors, obstacles, agents, sources of pity, sources of magic or technology and finally bringing out the good and evil in people. Along the way he sources some great monster examples and what makes them all tick, such as Godzilla, the sandworms in Dune (coincidentally Philip provides one of the best shorthanded explanations of Dune that I’ve ever read in this book), a couple of different zombie and vampire references, a few cryptids like the Loch Ness Monster, cursed items (Necronomicon anyone?), various Lovecraftian monstrosities and even Mother Nature.
Part III gets to the heart of the book with how to write your monsters. There is a lot of good practical advice to be found here on how to create monsters, how to reveal them over time, and how to describe their actions in a compelling fashion. “Always think about how this monster moves your story forward. How does it make your story more interesting, how does it play into the core conflict of the tale, and what makes it personal to your characters? Is it something they find frightening or pitiable, or even useful? Don’t try to build a story around a monster; build a monster from within your story.”

This section covers a lot of ground over nine chapters, including setting the rules of your monster, including its size, powers and abilities, weaknesses, description, the five senses, staging the reveal of your monster, using isolation in your writing, and what is Cliché vs. Archtype. As a nice change of pace Mr. Athans looks at monsters from different writing perspective such as writing short stories, novels, video games, movie scripts or even Role-Playing games. As a freelance RPG writer myself I was especially appreciative of this angle.

And for those of you who took the time to download the monster creation form will be rewarded here as he references
and uses it as an example thought out Part III.

From there a conclusion is provided discussing what monsters mean to us, what they say about us and why we continue to write about them today. As an added bonus, Philip added the short story “The Unnamable” by H.P. Lovecraft to enjoy. “This classic monster story was written in September 1923 and published in the July 1925 issue of the famed pulp magazine Weird Tales. The writing is classic Lovecraft—more than a bit dated, even overwrought by today’s standards—and yet it remains a staple of the genre.” I completely agree with this (it’s one of my favorite Lovecraft scribes) and it’s presented here to read and see how the various aspects discussed in this book come together to make a whole.

Finally Philip adds three different appendixes that are all worth a read. The first is “A Monstrous Style Guide” that provides craft and style tips to help you present your monsters, such as when to use he, she, or it and provides a list of Lovecraft’s favorite monstrous words (“Squamous” is not used enough these days). The second appendix covers suggested reading of other authors, and the third is a works cited section, which is useful as there were sources I’m not familiar with and would like to be.

This is tough, because I enjoy Loren Estleman's work on other Holmes pastiches. However, this is a decidedly mixed anthology. It mixes such a wide variety of styles that it's hard to appreciate them all. The titular novella isn't bad, but the title is a bit misleading, as Holmes fights the Mafia instead of Moriarty's organization (although there's a twist at the end).

All in all, it's not a bad anthology -- I did quite enjoy it -- but $10 might be a bit much knowing that you'll probably only enjoy a handful of the offerings within.

It just didn't work for me. There is a number of short sections on particular languages, both real (actually having an existing vocabulary and grammar) and those vaguely referred in fictional works. The descriptions give a handful of vocabulary and often point out trivial features, like when one language is represented in the fictional source, it's written as all caps; since it's alien, likely the Latin script is not its native script. Deeper issues and any real feel for the language is left out. The bibliographic references are generally unhelpful; every single one of Tolkien's languages mentions basically everything he wrote, in a verbatim repeated block, instead of pointing to the relevant texts on the language at hand. Klingon mentions every series and movie by name, instead of calling out the episodes and movies that actually use the language. That's nicer then Kryptonian; searching the Superman comic books, movies and TV series for details is a daunting task, made no easier by the author pointing out that they all exist. Give me some real linguistic information here and some decent pointers for more information (and not the obvious Wikipedia links), not plot summaries and unrelated information like "Before the Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan wrote Conan the Barbarian novels."

The section on Construct Your Own Language I found to be rather shallow and obsessed with superficial, particularly visual, differences from English. On my Kindle this is coming out to 320 pages for the first part, the language-by-language section, and 17 pages for constructing your own language, and accepting that as an existing limitation, that doesn't give much space, but a quick run at basic phonology and grammar for conlangers would have been nice.

I suffered through the the language games, which had nothing to do with the book and could have been compressed into a tenth the space. But then we would have had to loose some of the author's humor, for which I would have been happy.

Mayhap I wasn't the audience for this book, but the redundancy was strictly unnecessary, and there's a distinct lack of linguistic insight.

Steampunk Emporium offers five main themes for jewelry-making: Atlantis Expedition, Zeppelin Pirate Attack!, Absinthe Fairy Interlude, Jurassic Valley Exploration, and Clockwork Tea Party. Within each of these categories, there are four or five projects ranging from mixed media designs to wirework. The skills required to make each piece also vary. For example, the Azure Cog Earrings employ simpler wireworking techniques than the Adventurer’s Fob Watch, which definitely necessitates a familiarity with polymer clay.

Anyone who's a fan of steampunk or is involved in costuming would benefit from this book. For the average beader, however, the projects are a little more involved and the components required are not inexpensive. The plus side is that every piece is unique and each step is outlined with a photo. The resources are great as well. Just keep in mind that the digital functionality of the PDF isn’t optimal; the bookmarks are on the chapter level which makes navigation a little challenging.

A fascinating read in its own right, but also a useful resource for anyone interested in typography whether in 'dead tree' or on the web, or indeed in design in general.

The first chapter gives a brief but absorbing history of the written word from Babylonic cuniform through illuminated manuscripts right up to the invention of moveable type and on to present-day computer-based typesetting.

Following chapters look at individual letter forms, and then at how they can be put together for effect. At times this gets extremely technical, but it is easy to pick out the bits that are of use... and ALL of it is interesting!

This is something to flip through, to study in detail, to come back to again and again.

Recommended to anyone who wants to make their work look really, really good on page or on screen.

Whether it is the period (early 1800s) or the works of Jane Austen themselves which interest you, this is a fascinating glimpse of the life and times as depicted in her novels.

It's wide-ranging, looking at customs and daily life as well as wider issues of the times. Contemporary sources are blended skillfully with excepts from Austen novels and other works of fiction to give a comprehensive impression of the era.

Topics include marriage, etiquette, domestic life, education, fashion, health, and the rhythm of the year; as well as wider issues of industry, politics and war.

For the role-player: Essential reading if you are playing a historical game set in these times!

If you like horror movies or are interested in the academic study of genre movies this is quite a treat, scanning through general topics like 'Why do we like horror movies?' before delving into a survey of landmark examples...

Role-players will find inspiration here, both in the discussion of what makes good horror and in suggestions of good films to watch for ideas on how to create the atmosphere that they want, be it a horror game or an aim to introduce horror elements into a game of another genre.

Grab the popcorn and settle down for a good read, and approach your next horror movie session better informed about what you intend to watch.

This eBook is an overview of the types of markets you can tap into as a freelance writer. Filled with generalities, this compilation is really good for those who are new to professional freelance writing -- and who haven't chosen a specialty. While the book is formatted perfectly, there aren't a ton of resources for leads, and many of the
suggested places either require a word-of-mouth connection or a copy of Writer's Market.

If you are an experienced freelancer or writer who has already figured out your specialty, I would give this eBook a pass. If, however, you're new and just figuring out your career path, this is a good way to figure out not only what you want to do, but what the market is like (generally-speaking) for that particular aspect of the field -- minus the financials.

I've had physical copies of the Writer's Market books in the past, so I went into this product with certain expectations. I wanted a digital copy that I could use when researching markets for my work, and I was pleased that the file was formatted well and everything (including chapter headings, publisher/agent websites, etc.) was hyperlinked. Having said that, I do believe that how you read this file is as important as the content. I used the free Readium app for Chrome and the formatting is excellent.

The market information is very useful; additionally, there are some essays on writer's advice from professionals. It does have a more literary bent in some places, so this is meant to be more of an all-purpose market book as opposed to just focusing on one type of (e.g. commercial/mass market) fiction.

If you are interested in children's books - even if you do not write or illustrate yourself or have ambitions to do so - this makes for a fascinating read, a real sneak peek into this particular niche market.

It's a lot more than a mere listing of potential outlets for your stories or illustrations, you see. There are articles about all aspects of the craft and trade of producting children's books, not just the actual writing or drawing bits that you creatives do, but a fair bit about the rest of the process that happens between the idea first striking you and the final product on the bookshelves. It all makes for fascinating reading, and will make you look at children's books in a new light... even if it doesn't inspire you to sieze that idea that's been kicking around somewhere at the back of your mind ever since you thought 'I could do better than THAT!' as you looked at something in the bookshop or on a child's shelf. Naturally, it might well provide you with not just a boost to your enthusiasm but the tools you need to progress that idea closer to reality.

Maybe my next review will be YOUR book!

On the other hand, if your interest is more academic, there's a lot to ponder here as well. Writing, illustration, promoting, publishing... all fascinating crafts that are often enhanced by greater understanding even if you do not actually have the inclination to practise them yourself. Explore ideas about how to make that story or illustration more appealing to the marketplace, see how its necessary to catch the attention of an agent or publisher long before there are children's noses pressed to the bookshop window to catch a glimpse of the latest work... anyone who cares about children getting the 'book habit' early and sticking with it will also find food for thought here.

Even if you are the 'core' target market of the actual or aspiring children's book author or illustrator, you will find a wealth of material above and beyond contact details within the industry. For a start, there are useful hints and tips about how to use the listings to best effect. Then there are quick tips to get you started: places to go and contacts to make (physically or via the web). There's even advice on the best way to format your manuscript to meet industry standards, and make even your first attempt at breaking into the market look professional from the outset.

If you have ever thought about the children's book market, read this. You won't regret it.

"On Writing Horror" is an excellent book for aspiring horror writers and/or those curious about the "horrific" world of writing and publishing horror. The publishing industry has changed quite a bit through the years and horror has always filled a peculiar niche which shares a lot of overlap with other genres. Elements of horror are found throughout literature making this the kind of book that any writer could benefit from reading.

Piece by piece this book examines the state of the industry, advice and tips on writing horror and how to go about getting published in a genre which runs the length and breadth of literature. Each topic is well organized, explored and suitably inspires those with interest in the genre. I found a great deal of the advice to be helpful to me as a writer in general and especially as an explorer of horror.

Although I enjoyed this book I would have got more from it had I been better versed in the genere. It is a very comrehensive guide to understanding and writing HORROR Fiction. It is VERY well laid out, with an excellent 'literature review'. The tips on writing style are thoughtful and have worked in my re-writes. The finsl chapters are on publishing, as I write for pleasure these were of little interest. Saying that they were logical, well laid out and were informative, to a non-interested person. Overall well worth the money, even more so if you are well versed in the topic.